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Public Hearing Centers On Full-Day Kindergarten Debate

April 2, 2014
by John Rook

The overwhelming majority of those who turned out to Tuesday night's Town Council budget public hearing did so with one goal in mind: To express their support for full-day kindergarten.
However, some members of the public and Council questioned the need for such a dramatic change in curriculum.
During the meeting, two members of the public bucked the trend in the room and expressed their belief that full-day will not equal smarter children in the long run. That was echoed by Council Chairman Tim Slocum, who suggested that education initiatives have been championed in the past yet have been proven to be less effective than originally touted. The veteran Councilor questioned why today's research supporting full-day is "so much greater" than the research those other initiatives once leaned upon.
However, many in the audience rose to counter those claims, suggesting that 90 percent of municipalities have either implemented full-day or committed to doing so, showing their commitment to the curriculum change and their belief in the benefits.
Some also questioned the Council directly, asking how any of them could feel comfortable with voting on the issue when they have not taken the time to visit Darcey School or observe a kindergarten class.
To read more about Tuesday night's public hearing, pick up a copy of this week's Cheshire Herald ... out on newsstands tomorrow morning.